Far North soccer team needs a name
CAIRNS' big league soccer team is suffering an identity crisis.
With only weeks until the inaugural Australian Premier League season kicks off, FNQ FC has no team name.
The club's commercial manager John O'Brien yesterday called on soccer fans to come up with a "uniquely FNQ" name for the new team.
"We want something that the people of the Far North really identify with," he said.
"We want something uniquely FNQ a name that invokes the spirit of the people up here."
Mr O'Brien was involved in a similar endeavour during his time as a director of the Queensland Cup rugby league team, Northern Pride. "It doesn't have to be an animal or anything like that. It can be a characteristic that describes the people of Far North Queensland," he said.
"That's what we did the Pride and obviously the people of Cairns and the Far North have really grabbed on to that."
The team was granted a five-year licence as the FNQ Bulls, which was the name of the team that competed in the now-defunct Queensland State League competition.
The board of FNQ FC decided to drop "Bulls" because they felt it was too strongly associated with the Mareeba Bulls, who play in the local soccer league.
The team will still wear a FNQ Bulls logo on their shirts in a tribute to Mareeba's role in establishing the club.
While Mr O'Brien is keen to see a new name, coach Martin Docherty does not care what they are called.
"FNQ FC is fine by me," he said.
"I don't care what comes after our name, as long as 'inaugural APL champions' goes in front of it, I'll be happy."
No draw has been released yet, but the season is expected to start early next month.
The newcomers are in talks to hold their first trial game of the season against the Townsville-based North Queensland Fury in a fortnight.
Fans can send their submissions to marketing@fnqfc.com.au
NEW CAIRNS.COM.AU COMMENT POLICY
We welcome your comments on this story. Comments are submitted for possible publication on the
condition that they may be edited. Comments submitted without a full name and suburb/location will
not be considered for publication. Please read our full comment policy and publication guidelines.
Share this article
Heads up: Rhian Docherty, 13, Jed Jackson, 14, Ethan Docherty, 16, and Matthew Filip, 16, are all ready to score. Now all they need is a name for their team presently known as FNQ FC. Picture: MIKE WATT
















